3 Reasons you can’t stop eating even when you’re full

It’s the day after Christmas as I post this and I know that holiday times can feel especially stressful because there’s so many opportunities to be around yummy food and it can feel hard to stop eating even when you’re full!

Does this resonate with you?

So many people often tell me that they thought ditching dieting would solve the problem of food obsession or “overeating,” and they feel so perplexed why it did not!

That’s why I created this video to dive into the 3 BIGGEST reasons why you can’t stop eating even when you’re full (and even after you ditched dieting!)

👉 By the way, if you’re dreading all the "New Year, New Me" messages getting louder and louder? Register for my FREE “New Year Anti-diet Resolution Workshop” on Jan 9, 2025 where you'll set your own goals and roadmap to reach food+body peace in 2025!

Reason 1: You’re eating from a “trauma response”

Clients are so surprised to hear when I share that dieting is actually a trauma to your body!

When you diet, you're denying your body essential fuel, living in a constant state of deprivation, which creates an emergency state in your body and teaches it to be hypervigilant about food since it doesn’t know when fuel will be available again!

So even when you stop dieting, although YOU know that the diet is over, your body may not and still behave as if it's in survival mode, leading you to binge even when you're full. Your body might even associate “super full = safety.”

To counter this, you need to regularly nourish your body, assuring it that the food drought is over for good. Trust builds slowly, so give your body compassion and assurance that food is available over and over again!

Reason 2: You still have emotional charge around certain foods

Another layer to this is emotional deprivation. Many of us have experienced periods where certain foods were completely off-limits, and now that they are back on the table, there's an emotional thrill in eating them. This emotional charge can often overshadow fullness, leading to overeating with the 'last supper' mentality that can feel like: “AHH, eat it all NOW! We don’t know if we’ll ever get this food again!”

But imagine a place where no food holds an emotional charge and all food feels neutral!—this is the goal. By allowing yourself to enjoy all foods without restriction, you gradually reduce their emotional power. This is the journey of healing your relationship with food, where you can find peace and satisfaction with just a few donuts or cookies, rather than needing the whole box from the “last supper mentality.”

Reason 3: Your body tells you it’s full, but you’re not getting the message

The third reason for overeating even when full can be due to the disconnection from your body cues and living on “auto pilot” for a long time. Years of dieting often result in an anxious relationship with food where “listening to your body” feels like such a foreign concept, because you became so used to following the “diet rules” instead of letting your body guide you on what/when/how to eat! (i.e. “intuitively” eat!)

Learning to identify different levels of fullness is a skill that takes practice by being intentional about reconnecting with your body. Begin by consciously checking in with your body during meals, asking yourself, "Am I full? Do I want more?"

The more you practice this, over time, you’ll start to notice the more subtle levels of fullness, instead of ONLY noticing it when you’re uncomfortably stuffed and need to unbutton your pants

Interested in furthering this journey?

➡️  The new group cohort of NOURISH-HEAL-THRIVE is set to begin in January 2025! Come join this life-changing journey where you finally heal the years of your dieting trauma, free yourself from the guilt/fear/obsession around food, build a trusting and kind relationship with your body, and create a healthful life FREE from Diet Culture all in a supportive and safe community of other women doing the healing work with you!

➡️  Desiring 1-1 support? “YOU, EMBODIED” 1-1 coaching program is for you! This is where I become your guide, teacher, and partner to walk alongside you to reach your most healthful and happy relationship with food, body and yourself. Step into the most EMBODIED version of you living in joy, peace, health and self-love!💖

xo,

Mya